| Admitted to: RAF Manston SSQ. |
Date of Injury: 20/10/1944 |
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|---|---|---|---|
| D.O.B/Age when admitted: 22 |
Cause of Incident: Enemy Action. Hit by enemy flak in a Lancaster on ops. |
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| Transferred to QVH: 02/11/1944 |
Injuries: Flak wound to left thigh. |
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| No. of Operations at East Grinstead: 2 |
IDENTITY CARD
This is to certify that the patient mentioned below and whose description is stated hereon is the authorised holder of this Identity card.
| Forename: Donald |
Surname: Freeborn |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Service No: J35289 |
Nationality: Canadian |
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| Awards/Honours: DFC |
Patient Unit: 153 Sqn |
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| Profession: Pilot |
Patient Rank: Fg Off |
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| Death: --- |
Age at Death: --- |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Rank: |
Dr Unit: |
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During the night of 19 October 1944, Freeborn was flying a bombing run over Stuttgart. His plane was hit by flak causing injuries to his left side, the bomb doors to fail to close and one of the engines to be shut down by the Flight Engineer. Flying at low altitude, for better fuel efficiency and oxygen, they manage to return to RAF Manston, with Freeborn treating his injuries as he piloted. He was treated on base, before being taken to QVH.
Freeborn returned to his squadron after his treatment was complete. On his fourth trip, his plane was shot down by a night fighter, though he and his crew survived and returned to the squadron.
SSQ - Station Sick Quarters
We've been looking through our collections, and discovered this 1972 photograph from the East Grinstead Observer, o…